Fiber-rolling machine



L. H. TOLHURST.

FIBER ROLLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNI-:24. Isls.

1,3333230. Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

L. H. TOLHURST. FIBER ROLLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1918.

1,333,230. Patented Mar. 9,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y wb-i MM l LOUIS'H. TOLHURST, OF LOS NGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FIBER-ROLLING MACHINE.

`'pplcation filed June 24, 1918,.' Serial No. 241,698.

To 'all who/1i t may concern Be it known that I, Louis l-l. Toni-inner, a citizen oi': the United States,` residingat Los Angeles, in the county or' LosAngeles and State of California,- liave invented a new and useful Fiber-Rolling Machine, oi which the following is a specification.

My invention relates'tothe art of prepare ing vegetable ber, and V,moreparticularly to'` the art or separating Vsuch fiber romtlie woody pulp 'with which it is round Aassociated in nature. The invention is particuA- larly applicable tothe separation of vege table fiber roni the leaves ot' theyucca Aor SpanishM bayonet.` VIn this plant the leaves are made up of; parallel fibers incased in woody inateriahf and yit is' necessary'A to free the libersjironi the'inateri'al in which they are embedded if the fiber is to be used coinniercially inthe production oi rope, binder twine'and the like to i'vhichVV such ,ber is particnlarly` applicable. V

Other obje-'cts and advantages .will be made evident' hereinafter vfrom the liollowinoispecilication. .Y

eierringto'the drawings, whichare for illustrative purposesonly,

Figurel is a side VView o'ffa machine 'einfbodying my invention'. Y

I'Fig.V 2.V is asection on a rr'i'l'anerepresentedV by the line 2j2', Fig; 1, and viewed? in 'the'r direction of the arrow of thatliga-re.`

Sis' a plan view offm'y invention, and Fig. is a'sec'tion Qon a plane represented'Y rby the line 1-11 of Fig. 3, and viewedin the direction of the arrow otthatxi'i-giire.'

In theenibodiment-o'f my invention illus-k tratedin these drawings, a" wooden lframe 11 is provided. Turning in suitable Vbearings which shafts y n pulley 13. Also carriedin'bloeks 1&1' V sliding are rigidly secured to the yiframe are ,Y in the frame 11 isa. shaftvcarrying` a' beltadjusting roller 15, eachto theblocks 14 .being adjustable up. and down by means of Va 'sc'reviT` 16. Rollers having' fixed aXesare placed at 17, 18, 19 and 20, the rollers17-, 18 and 20 being-directly below movable rollers 21, 22 and 23. `These movable rollers are mounted on shafts turning in bearings cari ried in blocks 24 which are vertically Inov-` able in the frame ,11 against Compression v springs 26, the .pressure of each ofy the springs 26 being adjusted by a-screw 25. A fiexible belt 30 passes around the'pul1eys`12,

, Y Specification' of Lettersatent. Plaie'llted carrying ahead pulley'lQand a tail Mar. e, ieee.

i 15 and19, this belt also passing between the rollers 17 and 21 and rollers 18' and 22. Y

,. The shafts towhich the rollers 21 and 22 are fixed are provided with vsprockets 31 and 32 which 'are connected by a chain 33. The shal't to which the roller21 is fixed is drivenY through a gear train 34 vfrom a main shaft' 2. which isequipped with a `driving pulleyV 43 on which-aVA suitable beltfinay be` placed for driving the machine from any suitable source of power. `The shaits to which the `rollers 18 and 22 are secured are connected by means of gears 45, and the shafts on which thei-ollers-20 and 23are secured are connected` by4 means of gears 46, the gears 46 being driven jfromtlie gearsll'fby means otan idler gear 47- which turns freely on.V

the shaft 'ofthe roller 19 and ,in an opposite direction to the rotation of ythat roller.l

, Mounted on the shaftll2 isan eccentric 50 having an eccentric 'stra-p 51 tofw'hic'lia connecting rod `52 is secured, this connecting rodbeing pivoted on a pin. 5,3 pivoted'in a block 54.- 'which forms a portiono'l a carriage A 55. Mounted so yas to turn' freelyinthis car'- riage is aplurality of upjpeilrollers 56' and lower rollers?, each of the upper rollers 56 being on theupper side ofthe belt 30 and directly above a co-acting lower roller 57.

`The rollers 56 areimounted onshaftswhich turn'inV blocks 58 which areiree to'movey vertically in guides 59, each of vthe rollers '55 being, however, held down with considerable pressure by meansoi--sprjings .60

which press-upon the blocks-58 and tend to `iorce the rollers 56 and57 together. The

rollers Aand 57 are forced'together' subject.y

to the-tension cil the springs 60 by means ol screws 61 operated by hand wheels 62. AThe carriage is provided Y with trunnion iorated with a multiplicity of'sinall holes 81:.4

, are' placed 'between'v the rollers 56 andy se cured to carriage being sii'ppliedy 'with water through' a lexible'pipe 82, the water being caught 'in la tank 83 from which it .vl'ie'elsT so that it restsup'on the side frame 71 of the'ifrarne 11. Spray pipes; 80, per-v may .be recirculated to the pippel 82by a i pum 84. Y

The method of operation of my invention is as itollowsz. Y

`The shaft Ll2 being driven by means of the pulley 13 from any source of power (not shown), the belt 30 isdriven at the rate oi about three feet a minute in the direction p the springs 60 forces the rollers 21 and 1T together so that the yucca is partially crushed and flattened out en the belt te which it adheres more or less due to this crushing. In this partially flattened and crushed condition it passes between the rollers v56 and 57. The carriage 55 in which these rollers are journaled is reciprocated by means of the eccentrie() which drives-s the eccentricstrap 51 and through the connection rod 52 drives the frame As the yucca passes forward on tlie'belt the rollers 56 are passed forward and bach over the yuccafpressiiig it against the belt which is sustained on the rollers n In Y practice the shaft1`2 is rotated at about revolutions per minute. By means of the movement of the rollers back and forth theV effect of a long belt with a large number ef f rollers is obtained. It is necessary that the yucca fiber be delivered fromvthe machine in a. fairly` straight and parallel condition Vso that itwill not become tangled and so that its subsequent use will be facilitated. Y

By running the belt at a lowV speed and by moving.V the rollers E6 and if? rapidly it is possible to rolloutthe yucca leaves very thin without danger of tangling or snarling the separate fibers. The addition of water through the pipes S0"facilitates the separation and in some cases certain other' solvents may be so's'upplied in theplace of water.V

The solvent is caught in the tank 83 andrecirculated if desired. Y

f I have found that by supplying plenty of water and maintaining the :material under 18 and 22 consists of as high as ninety-eight, per cent.V fiber, the cellular and pectinous e material having Vbeen washed out ofthe mass by the action of the water and the pressure vofthe rolling operation. -The cleaned fiber passes up the inclined vbelt which serves to partiallyv drain the liber and between thew rollers 18 and 22, which serve to wring a large portion of the water out of the fiber, the rollers 20 and 23 serving' to further wring out water from the liber. 'Y The final product is in the form of fiber which is fairly parallel and straight, Vand which is almost entirely separated from the pulp. This ber after being dried'may be used in the production of rope,pbinder twine, orthe lilrefand forms a valuable commen cial product.

1. A fiber rolling machine comprising belt on which a mass of vegetable matter containing the desired Vfiber is carried; means for supporting said belt; a series of upper rollers pressing on the mass on said belt; belt driving means for driving the belt; and roller reciprocating means for forcing the rollers to Atravel back and forth on said belt.

series of lower rollers each of said lower A rollers being placed .directly below one of said upper rollers and so supported that it reciprocates in fixed relationship .with said co-acting upper roller. Y Y s A liberV rolling machine comprising a frame; belt rollers turningin bearingsfixed to said frame; a belt passing over said rellers; driving means'for said belt; afcarriage;` friction reducing means for supporting saidv carriage on said frame in such a manner that said carriage can'be reciprocated with relation to said frame;` meansy for soYreciprocating said carriage; an upper roller turning in bearings `in said carriage and located above said belt; a lower rollertui'ning in bearingsin said carriage and located below said belt; and pressure means for elastically forcing said upper and lower rollers together. f Y

4L. In a liber rolling machine, a belt on which the fiber is carried, upper and lower rolls between which lsaid belt passes, means for moving said rolls back and forth on said belt, and means for moving the belt through said rollers. Y Y Y In testimony whereof I have'hereunto eet my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 515th day of June, 1918;

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